BORROWED TIME

"Nico?"

"Yes?" he put down his phone then looked at me curiously.

"Ahmmm..." I composed myself and tried to find the right words.

"Ano yun doc?" he playfully said then chuckled.

"Tumigil ka nga Nico." Inirapan ko naman siya dahil seryoso ako sa mga sasabihin ko.

"Okay. Okay. What is it ba?" he asked once again after his laugh vanished.

"Kasi ano, ahm..."

"Yes babe? What is it?" tila naiinip nang tanong nito.

"Hmm, naaalala mo ba yung offer ng hospital sakin?" I sat down in front of him as we are waiting for our orders.

He creased his forhead as if inaalala niya kung ano nga ba yung offer ng ospital sa akin.

"Ow, the US offer thingy?" he said as soon as he figured it out.

I nodded. Hindi ko pa kasi alam kung paano ko iyon sasabihin sa kanya.

"Why? Ipinipilit na naman ba sayo ng Director ng hospital niyo? Eh diba you already turned it down?"

I nodded once again. I am starting to feel nervous kasi I know how much he hates when we talk about the US offer for me.

"Hey babe, so you turned it down again?" he said when he didn't heard a respond from me.

Dahan-dahan akong umiling. I really have to be honest right now. Kasi kung hindi ko sasabihin sa kanya ang totoo, mas lalo lang kaming mag-aaway.

"Eh ano?" he already asked impatiently.

I sighed nervously and closed my eyes. And held tightly the chair I am sitting in.

"I accepted it..."

Silence filled the air. Nobody dared to speak so I opened my eyes and I met his eyes that are seemed so unreadable right now.

I tried to open my mouth and tell something but I can't seem to find the courage to explain to him kung bakit ko nga ba tinanggap ang trabahong iyon.

"N-Nico... I--"

"So you accepted the offer? Pupunta kang US? For the sake of your hospital's reputation?"

I held his hand that is on the table.
"Nico, hi-hindi ganon yun okay? I didn't accepted the job for the sake of the hospital's reputation. I accepted it because I think it is the right thing to do--"

"It is the right thing to do? Wow Jho! So you think that it is good to leave your family and life here in the Philippines cause you think it is the RIGHT THING TO DO?"

Madiin ngunit mahinahon niang sambit sa mga katagang iyon dahil mukhang pinipigilan niyang sigawan ako dahil nasa public place kami.

"W-what?" I swallow the lump in my throat and continued to explain to him why I accepted the offer. "It's not like that Nico. Ano ka ba?! Ni minsan hindi sumagi sa isipan ko na tinanggap ko tong offer na to para iwan ang pamilya ko, ang buhay ko, at ikaw dito sa Pilipinas!"

"Then why are you accepting it?!"

Bigla akong nagitla dahil napasigaw na ito. Nagsimula na ring mapalingon sa amin ang iba pang tao sa loob ng resto.

Nasaan na ba kasi yung mga inorder namin?! Bakit parang ang tagal naman dumating?!

"N-Nico..."